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krush77's review against another edition
5.0
Just wow. Such is the potential of science fiction to use the great broad universe to examin the human experience. Much better than the first and last man as it avoids the racial/sexist tropes present in classic scifi but it expands its scope to , well everything. It has no time to dwell on such things. But it takes the ultimate doom of the universe and turns it into ultimately why everything matters. Though in the final chapter it does try to examine the concept of God but though initially it begins to falter its message, still it is sticks the landing. Though quite an old book it reads quite easily which is alot different than first and last men. Suggest starting with this one rather than its predecessor even though this is a sequel and makes some minor reference to events in first and last men. In summary, fantastic. Must read for any one.
shawnlindsell's review against another edition
3.5
This is not much a novel, as a kind of time travelling view of the existence of the universe. Much of it reads like a text book, which makes it hard going in places, but it's especially interesting given how long ago it wa written.
euthalius's review against another edition
3.0
+ full of fascinating, absolutely mind-blowing ideas
- not much of a plot, and after a while quite hard to read
- not much of a plot, and after a while quite hard to read
scottkardel's review against another edition
3.0
Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon is an interesting science fiction novel. It's old, published in 1937, and the looming shadow of World War II weighs heavily on the story. The author tells the story entirely first person, but the narrative and events are such that there is no dialogue at all. It took me a while to warm up to it all, but the book has big ideas and a story that spans all of cosmic time and space.
subzerochi's review against another edition
4.0
I did not finish this book.
Star maker is a deeply philosophical , creative, mind bending and expansive work.
But it is so goddamn nihilistic and so goddamn detailed in its exploration of strife and of the meaninglessness of it all that I am going to put it away till my mental health is better equipped to deal with being transported into the cold dark void of the space and left to wander it aimlessly for millennia watching civilizations come and go and make the same mistakes over and over and over again.
Star maker is a deeply philosophical , creative, mind bending and expansive work.
But it is so goddamn nihilistic and so goddamn detailed in its exploration of strife and of the meaninglessness of it all that I am going to put it away till my mental health is better equipped to deal with being transported into the cold dark void of the space and left to wander it aimlessly for millennia watching civilizations come and go and make the same mistakes over and over and over again.
jules_glenn's review against another edition
5.0
This was fantastic, I will be thinking about it for a long time.
The last section about meeting the Star Maker was difficult at times but well worth the effort.
This book was written 84 years ago so some turns of phrase are quaint, but Stapledon is just so good that it’s not a flaw…excellent use of analogies too.
Also, re: date written (1937)- author is clearly aware of, feeling and alarmed by fascism’s progress by 1937 which echoes now (as well as sharply belying the “no one really knew it was happening then” revisionism that persistently sprouts up).
The last section about meeting the Star Maker was difficult at times but well worth the effort.
This book was written 84 years ago so some turns of phrase are quaint, but Stapledon is just so good that it’s not a flaw…excellent use of analogies too.
Also, re: date written (1937)- author is clearly aware of, feeling and alarmed by fascism’s progress by 1937 which echoes now (as well as sharply belying the “no one really knew it was happening then” revisionism that persistently sprouts up).
apk98's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
renmarie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
livvi29's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I saw a review of Star Maker that described it as like a travelogue, and I couldn’t agree more! The world-building is incredible, with such creative and imaginative depictions of different worlds and alien species. It’s easy to see how this book has influenced so many other writers over the years. That said, it doesn’t have a plot or any characters to connect with, which makes it a dense and difficult read. While it’s a fascinating exploration of ideas, it’s definitely not for everyone.
foolish_shane's review against another edition
4.0
Read this a long time ago and forgot to add it to the database, I do have one line of notes.
A little bland but otherwise unbelievable (in a good way). 7.5
A little bland but otherwise unbelievable (in a good way). 7.5